John copcutt



J. COPCUTT. Fire-Proof' F1001'.

No. 226,282. j' /Patented April 6,1880.

MFETERS. PHDTO-LITHOGRAPHER. wAsmNGToN, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT JOHN COPOUTT, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

FIRE-PROOF FLOOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,282, dated April 6, 1880.

Application fded February 21, 1879,

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, JOHN OOPCUTT, of Yonkers,in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Construction of Buildings, of which the following is a specification.

rj his invention relates more particularly to the construction of the oors, doors, and shutters of buildings; and the object thereof is to prevent the rapid spreading ot' tire from one part of a burning building to another by burning through those parts.

In a tloor it consists of two thicknesses ot' boards with an intermediate layer ot' sheets of iron lapped at the edges. A similar arrangement is adopted for doors and shutters. The latter may, in addition, if desired, be covered with the sheet-iron on one side and on the edges.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan of a floor laid in accordance with my improved mode ot' construction. Fig. 2 is a sectional view oi the same, and Figs. 3 and i show the arrangement for doors and shutters.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A A, &c., are the joists ofa building for supporting the flooring. Over these are laid diagonally rough boards B B, &c., and nailed down securely. Over this is placed the sheet-iron in sheets a a, lapped at the edges, as shown in the drawings. On top of this layer of sheet-iron is placed and nailed the ordinary tongue-andgrooved flooring C C, &c. The metal maybe painted with iron-clad paint.

In the doors and shutters one layer of boards, D, is placed diagonally, then the sheets of iron E, lapping upon each other, and over these a layer of boards, F. A casing of sheet-iron, F, may then be applied, covering one Whole guish the tire beforel it makes much headway.

The sheet-iron prevents eli'ectually the fire from going through for so long a time that thev engine will put out the fire entirely in the first story in which it begins.

In addition to this principal advantage are these incidental ones-viz., the irst layer of boards increases the strength of buildings, and as they are laid as soon as the joists are put down they furnish a floor for the workman to walk over and a formulation for the scaffolding. Further, by the triple layer a much more solid floor is obtained.

This method ot' making the floors and shutters could also be applied to the covers of hatchways, iceways, &c., and the meta-l should be put over the ends and sides of the beams around the hatchways.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A rlhe combination", ir. the door of a building, of the boards B, laid directly on the joists, the intermediate layers ot' sheet-iron lapped at the edges, and the tougue-and-grooved flooring, substantially as described.

' JOHN OOPOUTT. 

